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Paris Attack Friday Nov. 13, 2015

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by Randall Keith11/15/2015 7:12:23 PM

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Target of choice?20:27 GMT - Jihadist attacks against France over the past year have been of unprecedented ferocity.France is "a target due to counter-terrorism activities in north and central Africa as well as the perceived mistreatment of and discrimination against the Muslim minority in France itself," says Matthew Henman, head of Jane's Terrorism and Insurgency Centre in London.France's five million Muslims, Europe's biggest Muslim community, often rightly complain of discrimination, notably on the employment front."France is the country with the most frustrations linked to Islam," said sociologist Raphael Liogier, adding that was why "more than anywhere else young people are ready to sign up" to radical groups.A total of 571 French nationals or French residents have joined IS in Iraq and Syria, of which 245 have returned and 141 have died, according to official figures.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 9:54:32 PM

Links to air strikes20:33 GMT - French jets have staged 283 strikes against IS targets in Iraq since September 2014.In October 2015, France extended its air campaign to Syria where its fighter-bombers have carried out five strikes against IS training camps and oil sites.Pierre Janaszak, a witness to the attack on the Bataclan concert hall, says he heard the attackers say: "'It's the fault of Hollande, it's the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria'".But Shashank Joshi of the Royal United Services Institute in London says, "I do not believe that French abandonment of air strikes would protect it from attacks, because there would simply be some further alleged provocation that would be cited by future terrorists." He adds the level of sophistication of the attacks meant they were probably planned before France's Syria campaign began.

Irish march20:53 GMT - Around 6,000 people marched through Dublin, many participants draped in the French tricolour flag. Some carried placards reading "Pray for Paris" and "Je Suis Paris", and others sang "La Marseillaise".The march was initially organised late Friday night on social media by Juliette Charton, 21, a French au pair from Paris living in Dublin, the Irish Independent newspaper reported."I organised this last night because it's difficult to be in a different country and to hear about your family and friends who are still in danger in Paris," the newspaper reported Charton as saying.

NATO chief21:50 GMT - NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg gives AFP a brief telephone interview saying, "All NATO allies stand united in the fight against terrorism and stand united in solidarity with France." The head of the 28-nation transatlantic alliance says, "The attack is not only an attack on innocent people in Paris and on France but it is also one on our core values of freedom and democracy and our open societies." He also emphasises Muslims are now leading the fight against the Islamic State group in the Middle East and north Africa as they have suffered most of the casualties."So this is not a fight between the Islamic world and the western world. This is a fight between extremists, criminals and people who believe in the fundamental values of freedom and the respect for human rights."

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:44 PM

Paris by bike21:53 GMT - AFP journalist Nicolas Gaudichet says the atmosphere in Paris is strange. He is riding his bike and reports the streets are almost empty, some blocked by armed police, particularly near UNESCO's headquarters.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:44 PM

"It's inevitable"21:57 GMT - AFP's Dave Clarke speaks with Patrick Skinner, a former CIA case officer now with security consultancy the Soufan Group, about European Islamists radicalized in Syria and returning home."That it happened was not a surprise. You cannot have this kind of situation lasting for years and not have this kind of attack," Skinner says.He argues French security forces have a good reputation in counter-terrorism -- "world class" -- but even they missed a cell planning a complex attack."It's inevitable, and it's going to happen again," he says.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:45 PM

Back in New York21:59 GMT - A vigil in New York's Washington Square continues. AFP's Jennie Matthew reports French expatriates are joined by American well-wishers, holding up signs reading, "Liberte, egalite, fraternite" and "Not afraid.""It seems like a time we need to spend together, not alone," 21-year-old student Sebastien Jarquin, who is half-French, half-American tells her. "We'll stay as long as necessary. I put all my plans aside today."

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:45 PM

Greenwich Village22:00 GMT - AFP's Thomas Urbain speaks with Marie-Josee O'Keefe, a French woman who has lived in New York for more than twenty years. "Yesterday, when I heard what had happened, I went out into the street and I realized that I was afraid. I feel super close to France. We are all threatened," she says.

Foreign victims update22:13 GMT - Foreigners identified as victims in Paris:- ALGERIA: Two Algerians were killed, the official APS news agency says, citing diplomatic sources as saying the victims are a woman aged 40 and a man aged 29.- BELGIUM: At least two nationals were killed, according to the Belgian foreign ministry.- BRITAIN: One Briton was killed, the Foreign Office says, adding that a "handful" are feared dead.- CHILE: A man and a woman, including the niece of Chile's ambassador to Mexico, are among the dead.- MOROCCO: One Moroccan has been killed and another injured, according to the embassy in France.- PORTUGAL: Two Portuguese nationals are reported to have died, according to the Lisbon government. A 63-year-old national who lived in Paris and worked in public transport was killed near the Stade de France sports stadium, while the second victim, killed at the Bataclan music hall attack, was a dual-national born in France in 1980.- ROMANIA: Two Romanians were killed, according to the foreign ministry in Bucharest.- SPAIN: 29-year-old Alberto Gonzalez Garrido was killed while attending the concert at the Bataclan theatre, Spanish authorities say.- SWEDEN: One person of Swedish nationality was wounded by gunfire and another was killed, according to the foreign ministry, which says it is still verifying the information.- TUNISIA: Two young Tunisians, sisters who lived in the French region of Creusot and who were celebrating a friend's birthday in Paris, were also killed, according to the Tunisian foreign ministry.- UNITED STATES: A student from California was killed in the attacks, her university says.Other US citizens are reported to be injured, while two Brazilians were wounded in the attacks, President Dilma Rousseff says.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:53 PM

Russia22:22 GMT - Russia's national security services have been put on high alert, the country's anti-terrorism body says."Our state's security organs are taking the appropriate measures to ensure the security of citizens and their protection against terrorism," the National Anti-Terrorism Committee says in a statement.The statement also urges Russian citizens to exercise "high responsibility and vigilance" in the face of international terrorism.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:54 PM

Relatives arrested22:25 GMT - Sources tell AFP that police have taken into custody the father and brother of a French gunman linked to the Paris attacks and are searching the father's home in the small town of Romilly-sur-Seine, some 130 kilometres (80 miles) east of Paris, as well as his brother's in nearby Bondoufle.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 10:42:54 PM

Bogota22:45 GMT - Outside the French Embassy in Bogota, AFP's Florence Panoussian reports several hundred people have gathered with flowers and candles.

Chilean survivor22:47 GMT - David Fritz Goettinger, 23, tells Chilevision from Paris that a gunman at the Bataclan concert hall pointed right at him but did not fire.He told police he was asked by one of the gunmen if he believed in God, and he said he did. He was asked if he was French, and he said he was Chilean.He was let go, he says.

Trump22:47 GMT - The Republican presidential frontrunner weighs in on Paris."When you look at Paris, toughest gun laws in the world, nobody had guns but the bad guys," he said on the 2016 campaign trail in Texas, after a moment of silence for the dead."And I will tell you what -- you can say what you want, if they had guns, if our people had guns, if they were allowed to carry, it would have been a much, much different situation."

Belgium eyewitness22:59 GMT - Belgian police arrest several suspects in Brussels during raids connected to the Paris attacks. "An old model Golf was stopped as it was driving. The police made the man get out and they shoved him in the back, made him kneel and then put a blindfold on him," a resident of the poor Brussels district of Molenbeek tells AFP on condition of anonymity."The man was between 30 and 40. He was dressed normally in jeans and a hoodie. He wasn't bearded, he looked normal," the witness adds.

In Canada23:35 GMT - More than 1,000 people turn out in mostly French-speaking Montreal, in front of the French consulate."France is in mourning. The fact that many politicians are here with us is a sign that we are still standing. We are not going to let ourselves be swept away by hatred," says Catherine Feuillet, France's general consul in the city.

Silence23:39 GMT - AFP's Stephane Jourdain reports that the silence in Paris is surprising for a Saturday night. He says the streets seem deserted and nine out of ten bars are closed.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 11:48:51 PM

F123:40 GMT - Drivers at the Brazilian Grand Prix will wear black armbands to honour the victims in Paris and will hold a pre-planned minute's silence for road traffic victims.Earlier, some controversy arose when International Motoring Federation (FIA) president Frenchman Jean Todt spoke with French television station Canal+ and seemed dismissive toward the terror attacks. He told the station: "Do you realise the number of people killed in road accidents is by far bigger than the number of people who died in Paris?"FIA issued a statement that said: "A French flag decorated with a black ribbon will be carried on the truck used during the drivers' parade."

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/14/2015 11:48:52 PM

Lotus driver23:41 GMT - Romain Grosjean, the only French driver in Formula One, wore a black armband incorporating his nation's flag during the qualifying session for the Brazilian Grand Prix.He says that the best tribute from him to the victims would be to put "the French flag on top of the podium" by winning."It's going to be hard, but let's do a race, think about what happened and hope that peace comes back quickly," the Lotus driver says.

US Democrats00:10 GMT - As the American Democratic presidential candidates prepare to take the stage for a debate in Iowa, national security and counter-terrorism loom large.All three candidates may face questions about how they would immediately help France, or whether they back Obama's recent authorization to send a small deployment of special forces to Syria.There are 79 days before the first state-wide vote in Iowa.

Leros00:31 GMT - The discovery of a Syrian passport near the body of one attacker has raised suspicions some of the attackers might have entered Europe as part of an influx of people fleeing Syria's civil war."We confirm that the (Syrian) passport holder came through the Greek island of Leros on October 3 where he was registered under EU rules," says the Greek minister for citizen protection, Nikos Toskas.Police do not rule out that the Syrian passport may have changed hands before the assault.

Lafayette Square00:50 GMT - In the US capital, crowds of mostly French people gather for a somber vigil organised by the French Embassy in a park adjacent to the White House named after the Marquis de Lafayette."France is not a race, France is not a religion, France is not an ethnic group, France is a will to live together," French Ambassador Gerard Araud tells the crowd of hundreds.Student Matei Jovanovic tells AFP, "France is in mourning, I did not sleep at night. Being so far from Paris, it is a pleasure to see so many people gathered to say that France is still standing."

Panama01:44 GMT - Panama raised its terror alert level Saturday in reaction to the deadly attacks in Paris, ramping up security at its strategic canal and other sensitive locations, the president said."Security has been increased at airports, the canal and some diplomatic legations," President Juan Carlos Varela said a day after the attacks in the French capital.

"Our prayers are with the people of France tonight but that is not enough." —Hillary #DemDebate — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) November 15, 2015

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/15/2015 3:12:34 AM

Democratic debate02:09 GMT - Three US presidential candidates at the Democratic debate in Des Moines, Iowa, respond to the deadly terrorist attacks in the French capital.Bernie Sanders: "Together, leading the world, this country will rid our planet of this barbaric organisation called ISIS."Hillary Clinton: "Our prayers are with the people of France tonight, but that is not enough. We need to have a resolve that will bring the world together to root out the kind of radical jihadist ideology that motivates organisations like ISIS -- a barbaric, ruthless, violent jihadist terrorist group."Martin O'Malley: "My heart goes out to the people of France in this moment of loss... and as our hearts go out to them and as our prayers go out to them, we must remember this: that this is the new face of conflict and warfare, not in the 20th century but the new face of conflict and warfare in the 21st century. And there is no nation on the planet better able to adapt to this change than our nation."

UK Muslims03:00 GMT - The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has planned a series of conferences around the country where community leaders, activists and others will speak out against jihadist ideology, but also government security measures they say alienate Muslims."We do know that for any policy to succeed it needs to involve Muslim communities as part of the solution and not only as part of the problem," said MCB secretary general Shuja Shafi at the first of a series of conferences in London this week.The initiative comes as concerns mount over the number of Britons heeding calls by the Islamic State (IS) group and other extremists to launch attacks domestically or fight abroad.IS has claimed responsibility for a string of outrages, including the attacks in Paris Friday that left 129 dead and more than 350 wounded.

Elysee Palace03:28 GMT - AFP reporter Stephane Jourdain says that the area around the Elysee Palace in Paris is completely closed off, with taxis forced to take detours. Armed guards patrol the perimeter in the early hours of the morning.

Attacker identified03:42 GMT - Police have identified one of the gunmen who blew himself up at the Bataclan concert hall as 29-year-old Paris native Omar Ismail Mostefai.His father and 34-year-old brother have been taken into custody by police and a source close to the probe said investigators are now searching the homes of other friends and relatives of the killer.Mostefai, whose identity was confirmed using a severed fingertip, was known as being close to radical Islam, but had never been linked to terrorism.

Empty streets04:13 GMT - The usually lively streets of Paris were nearly empty Saturday night, with cafes closed and hot spots like the bustling Pigalle eerily quiet.An AFP journalist spoke to a taxi driver who described the atmosphere. "Tonight in Paris it was dead, it was like a small provincial town," he said.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/15/2015 4:46:52 AM

Mostefai04:32 GMT - Identified by his severed finger, which was found among the rubble of the Bataclan concert hall, Omar Ismail Mostefai is the first gunman to be named from Friday's attacks in Paris. The 29-year-old was one of three men who blew himself up following the bloodiest scene of the carnage, in which at least 89 people were killed.Born on November 21 1985, in the poor Paris suburb of Courcouronnes, Omar Mostefai's criminal record shows eight convictions for petty crimes between 2004 and 2010, but no jail time.Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said Mostefai had been singled out as a high-priority target for radicalisation in 2010 but, before Friday, he had "never been implicated in an investigation or a terrorist association".

BMW Masters05:07 GMT - Europe's top golfers halted their final rounds in the BMW Masters in Shanghai Sunday to observe a minute's silence in tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks.As airhorns sounded to mark noon, all 78 players, caddies, officials and thousands of Chinese spectators at the flagship European Tour event stood in silence to honour the memory of the victims of Friday's attacks.

by AFPvia Paris Attacks - LIVE REPORT11/15/2015 5:29:58 AM

Mostefai brother05:21 GMT - Omar Ismail Mostefai's brother, one of four boys in the family along with two sisters, turned himself in to police after learning his younger sibling was involved in the attacks."It's a crazy thing, it's madness," he told AFP, his voice trembling, before being taken into custody. The last he knew, Mostefai had gone to Algeria with his family and his "little girl," he said, adding: "It's been a time since I have had any news.""I called my mother, she didn't seem to know anything," he said Saturday.

G2006:13 GMT - US President Barack Obama has landed in Turkey for the G20 summit where he is expected to discuss terrorism with leaders from the world's 20 most powerful economies.French President Francois Hollande cancelled his visit to Turkey after Friday's attacks. Hollande will be represented by Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and Finance Minister Michel Sapin.

Car found08:20 GMT - A black Seat car used by gunmen who fired at people in restaurants during the attacks in Paris has been found in the eastern suburb of Montreuil, police say.Six people close to Omar Ismail Mostefai, who took part in the killings at the Bataclan concert hall and the first of Friday's attackers to be identified, have been detained, including his father, brother and sister-in-law, judicial and police sources say.